How Soon Do Puppies Nurse After They Are Born?

The birth of puppies is an amazing event. If you are lucky enough to witness it, you'll never forget it. When puppies are born the mother will rupture the placenta and diligently lick her pups one by one until they are clean. The first four days of life are crucial and the puppies must receive proper nutrition to survive them.

  1. Birth

    • Pregnancy for dogs lasts 63 days. When a female dog -- or bitch -- gives birth, it's called whelping. Whelping occurs in three stages. The first stage begins when the cervix dilates and the bitch goes to a dark, private corner -- usually a whelping box -- to prepare for birth. In the second stage, the uterus begins to contract as each puppy emerges through the birth canal. The third stage covers all of the events after birth: the bitch begins cleaning her pups, cutting the umbilical cord with her teeth. She may even eat the afterbirth.

    Mother's Behavior After Birth

    • Puppies rely on their mother's instincts as they emerge from the birth canal. Each puppy is born in a sac that must be torn open to allow the puppy to breathe. The mother will bite the sac, then lick the puppy roughly to stimulate its breathing. It is important for bonding purposes that the mother be allowed to carry out these actions. Only if she is unable to stimulate breathing in the puppy should a human handler intervene.

    Nursing After Birth

    • Within two hours of birth, puppies must begin nursing to guarantee the transfer of essential antibodies in the mother's milk, called colostrum. This milk is different in that it is produced right after birth and contains antibodies that newborn puppies need. Puppies have very weak immune systems at birth and through their first weeks of life. If a puppy does not begin nursing naturally within two hours, there may be something wrong with it.

    Nursing Puppies

    • A human handler must ensure that each puppy is able to latch on to the mother's nipple and obtain the colostrum within two hours. If for any reason the puppies appear unable to nurse, the handler must then obtain milk from the mother and administer it to the puppy with a syringe or dropper.

    Monitoring Nursing Puppies

    • For the four days following birth, handlers must carefully monitor the mother and puppies. Each pup should be able to latch on fully to the nipple. You will be able to tell if the puppy has a good grasp if their tongue is sticking out slightly. Nursing is an important time when puppies will put on significant weight and develop immunity to diseases they will face within the first few weeks of life.